Tire and automotive technology supplier Continental has added a valve cap sensor to its lineup of Digital Tire Monitoring products and services.

This sensor works with all of Continental’s digital tire monitoring solutions products including:

• ContiConnect Live Truck and Trailer

• ContiConnect Yard

• ContiPressureCheck

Continental said installation of the sensor requires minimal downtime on the vehicle as there is no requirement to dismount and remount tires. This makes it easy to upfit any commercial vehicle and fleet of any size in a short amount of time, the company explained.

The valve cap sensor was planned and rolled out by Continental to also offer an easy path towards an integration of what it calls a more robust tire-mounted sensor.

Benefits of Digital Tire Monitoring

One of the most effective ways commercial vehicle fleets can reduce costs is by monitoring their tires, said Continental, adding that tires can influence up to 53% of the fleet’s overall operating costs.

With Continental’s Digital Tire Monitoring System, a fleet can monitor the health of its tires through two different types of sensors that communicate with ContiConnect’s online platform via connected devices on the truck, trailer, yard reader, or the Continental On-Site phone app.

Valve Cap Sensors

The valve cap sensor is an external sensor that replaces the valve cap. This sensor is a quick and efficient way to upfit a large fleet with limited downtime. The sensor relays tire pressure readings for all Continental digital tire monitoring solutions.

The valve cap sensor has a low-battery indication on the ContiConnect platform and has a battery lifespan of 2.5 years.

Continental said the sensor was developed to provide fleets with a quick solution to begin monitoring their tire’s health. If a tire needs to be replaced on the road, the valve cap sensor also allows fleets to continue monitoring their new tires’ status before installing the tire-mounted sensor again when convenient.

Tire-Mounted Sensors

The second type of sensor is a tire-mounted one. These sensors are mounted directly onto the inside of the tire and provide more data than the valve cap sensors. Tire-mounted sensors can relay tire pressure and compensated tire pressure, temperature, and individual tire mileage.

Tire-mounted sensors have a 4-year lifespan and a battery indicator on the ContiConnect platform that can relay to a fleet when the battery is low.

Related: Here’s How Continental Tests Tires at its Uvalde Proving Grounds